Random Blog Post: Importance of Resilience

Last week, as I was subconsciously scrolling down my Facebook feed like just any other day, I came across my friend's post. It was a video in which college students argue against a social figure on a variety of topics regarding social system that favors the wealthy, value of education after graduation and quality of life. The video grabbed my attention until the end because this topic is more relevant to me as I am approaching my college years. The most interesting part of the video was when the social figure tells students to stop blaming the social system that has existed for years for their failures, but instead advises them to start developing skills that not many people have. Initially, this sounds ironic because we live in society which forces us to become the resume-perfect individual to beat the competition. But, after watching the video twice, I realized that being the vice president of a finance club or having the perfect GPA may put you ahead, there are certain characteristics that essentially make you a better person in the long run.

Personally, I think one of the most important prerequisites for success is "resilience." I am not talking about running a marathon with two prosthetic legs. It's about displaying emotional strength and professionalism during the most trying times. When we are children, we cry when we are hungry and cry again when we can't find our favorite toys. Not much resilience there huh? But, year by year, we constantly face new challenges and we are obligated to juggle more responsibilities. If we can't adapt to this change, we encounter a "failure." Unlike high school, we have a very limited time to bounce back from our mistakes because if we take too long, this "failure to bounce back" comes with bigger consequences. When someone used to tell me his life is a roller coaster, I always assumed such phrase is a dumb analogy with an attempt to exaggerate his feelings. However, the roller coaster in life will definitely start sooner or later from this point on and my experience in the second half of my college years can speak for this.

Embrace the scars and be proud of them. They show where you have been and what you are capable of. The first fall might be hard - maybe too hard. But, as time goes on, next time you fall back, there will be a mattress before you know it.

Comments

  1. Connor RimellApril 7, 2018 at 12:40 PM

    Thanks for your insight Jeff. Interesting take on this idea and I would say that I agree. Resilience is also especially important in our lines of work in the financial industry where being denied is all too common.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Raghav KumarApril 8, 2018 at 12:08 PM

    Hey Jeff! Your blog post was really insightful and I definitely agree with your opinion. Having skills that are rare (and therefore sought after) is a strategic way to look at what one can focus on. Resilience or persistence is exactly what I would have answered if someone asked me what's the biggest driver for success.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Campbell MattixApril 8, 2018 at 6:19 PM

    Hi Jeff!

    I found your post really inspirational. With only two weeks left of the semester-- and two weeks until internship season start for me-- I really connected with the idea that resilience is a virtue. Balancing so many tasks can feel completely overwhelming, but I agree that practicing resilience can be as important as developing technical skills. I think your post was really well written!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Shirline ChaudharyApril 9, 2018 at 11:01 AM

    Hey Jeff! Love your post on resilience. I definitely agree that resilience is an essential trait to have for success, it's so important to pick yourself up after falling and keep trying.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A World We Dare to Imagine

As time passes by, my perspective of the world has changed drastically at least more than 20 times. Sometimes, my hope for a better world stems from personal problems I go through. Other times, it's poverty or environmental issues that get sourced through media. What I want to see in the next few generations of our society is an equal access to opportunities. We complain when we don't have enough balance in our bank account to go to a rave or when we have four essays to write in two weeks. This is commonly called, "first-world problems." I believe that these complaints can be justified because our perspectives are defined and restricted by the content of our life experiences. But, I want to live in an environment where every individual has at least similar amount of access to opportunities to "be great." For example, we witness at least one or two great prodigies who are accepted to great Ivy League schools despite their unfortunate personal backgrounds....
Read more

A World We Dare to Imagine Part 3: Goal for Goal

Organization Name: Goal for Goal Do you remember the last time China competed in the World Cup? Can you name a famous Chinese soccer star? With population of 1.4 billion, China's economic ascent has been incredible over the years, but China has never made a name for itself in soccer. Although soccer is a universal sport, numerous Chinese children cannot receive a basic training due to a lack of infrastructure. However, Xi Jin Ping, the current Chinese president, declared long-term plans to make China "a confident power" in soccer. The plans include making soccer one of the options in the high-school entrance examination's sports test in 2016. Also, three campus school training centers and 200 schools, with an emphasis in soccer training, will be set up in Beijing by next year. This is where Goal for Goal comes in play. With Xi's seemingly unlimited national support, China has all the necessary ingredients for a strong team, including a nationwide love for...
Read more

Born on Third Base

Chuck Collins describes a social phenomenon that seems to exacerbate as our generation continues to age. On one side, the wealthy maintain the power and privilege to keep the social system in their favor while the other "not-so-lucky" lose the opportunity to even try to climb to the top of the ladder. Chuck Collins addresses this dilemma in our society by encouraging the wealthy to come back home and invest their wealth in helping out struggling communities. Chuck gave away his inheritance at 26 and spent rest of his life striving to close the gap of inequality. Although he admits that not many wealthy can or will follow his footsteps, he still has hope in some wealthy who can do the same for society. I personally believe that both sides of the system exist in USC. Coming in as a freshman, we can see numerous international or domestic students who are extremely well off on campus. However, students mingle together regardless of their backgrounds and are offered the same lev...
Read more